Kipling to Jinnah: Mumbai's crumbling colonial homes

Yahoo – AFP, Peter Hutchison, 19 February 2016

The "Kipling Bungalow" is one of several mansions in Mumbai, once associated 

with famous residents but now in ruin (AFP Photo/Indranil Mukherjee)

Mumbai (AFP) - Hidden behind a blanket of trees at the back of a university in Mumbai lies the dilapidated, but once grand, former home of writer Rudyard Kipling.

Fallen branches, discarded chairs and even empty whisky bottles surround the 19th-century building, while bird droppings mar a bust of Kipling, author of such beloved novels as "The Jungle Book" and "Kim".

"The bungalow is in very bad condition and needs desperate help," the college's principal, Rajiv Mishra, tells AFP.

"We feel cheated that such a beautiful monument has been neglected," he adds, pointing to a rotting wooden post, precariously supporting the historic property in south Mumbai.

The "Kipling Bungalow", as locals affectionately call it, is one of several mansions in the teeming Indian city, once associated with famous residents but now in ruin.

Nearby stands the former colonial home of Lord Harris, an ex-governor of then-named Bombay, widely credited with making cricket the most popular sport in India.

The 147-year-old Esplanade Mansion, formerly the resplendent Watson's Hotel, 

and frequented and written about by Mark Twain, is now a ramshackle shadow 

of its former glory (AFP Photo/Indranil Muherjee)

The gothic building housed school classrooms until four years ago, when pupils were moved out because the crumbling structure had become too weak and hazardous.

A few kilometres away in plush Malabar Hill sits the previously imposing residence of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan and its first governor-general.

The stately home hosted critical talks between Jinnah and India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru on partition of the subcontinent, but today its downtrodden appearance belies its historical significance.

Red tape

Heritage campaigners lament the demise of such buildings, blaming red tape and claiming politicians and developers are more concerned with constructing sparkly new luxury towers than preserving Mumbai's architectural history.

"The Kipling Bungalow is just a very sad reflection of bureaucratic hurdles... creating the death of a historic building," renowned architect Abha Narain Lambah, who specialises in conservation, told AFP.

An Indian mason stands on scaffolding at the under-renovation Lord Harris

Higher Secondary Marathi School in Mumbai (AFP Photo/Indranil Mukherjee)

The wood and stone structure, its green paint peeling, is situated on the grounds of an art school, whose first principal was John Lockwood Kipling, Rudyard's father.

Built in 1882, 17 years after Rudyard was born, the house was home to Lockwood Kipling and subsequent deans until the early 2000s, by which time it had sunk into such disrepair that it was rendered uninhabitable.

"We feel that Lockwood must have had Rudyard stay here and write so we call it the 'Kipling Bungalow'," explains Mishra, who wants the Maharashtra state government to restore it without delay.

He says officials plan to turn the building into a gallery exhibiting students' work and that of decorated artists, and have issued a tender for the contract.

The building has been caught in a tug-of-war between the college and the government for years over what its restoration should look like, but Mishra hopes renovations will finally start in around six months.

Maharashtra culture and education minister Vinod Tawde failed to respond to repeated AFP requests for comment on the issue.

Built in 1882, 17 years after Rudyard Kipling was born, the house was home to his 

father John Lockwood Kipling and subsequent deans until the early 2000s, by which

 time it had sunk into such disrepair that it was rendered uninhabitable (AFP Photo/

Indranil Mukherjee)

A short walk away, work has already begun on the former Mumbai residence of batsman and acclaimed cricket administrator George Harris, who was governor of the city from 1890-1895.

Harris captained England and during his tenure on the subcontinent "did much to lay down foundations for the expansion of the game in India", according to Cricinfo website.

A Mumbai inter-schools cricket tournament called the Harris Shield is testament to his legacy, but his former home was allowed to come close to collapse before long overdue maintenance work started.

The three-storey mansion, part of a public school, was out of use for three years until renovation began in June, and presently stands gutted, surrounded by bamboo scaffolding.

"It was basically falling apart and became too dangerous to be inside," the school's principal, Mohan Bhogade, told AFP.

Jinnah dispute

In arty Kala Ghoda district, a 147-year-old mansion, formerly the resplendent Watson's Hotel, frequented and written about by Mark Twain, is a ramshackle shadow of its former glory.

A bust of author Rudyard Kipling pictured at
the Kipling Bunglow -- the author's birthplace
-- inside the campus of the J.J. School of Art
in Mumbai  (AFP Photo/Indranil Mukherjee)

Now called Esplanade Mansion, it shows no signs of being restored despite ten years having passed since it was placed on a global list of endangered monuments by the New York-based World Monuments Fund.

Watson's, completed in 1869, is believed to be India's oldest caste-iron building and was the hotel of choice for colonialists and visiting dignatories during the British Raj.

Accoring to legend, the hotel went into decline after Indian industrialist Jamsetji Tata built Mumbai's iconic Taj Mahal Palace because he was denied entry to Watson's, which had a "Europeans-only" policy.

Today the crumbling structure houses a medley of dark cubbyhole offices. A lack of funds and arguments between tenants and city authorities have been cited as contributing to its descent into ruin.

"The idea of heritage has just evaporated," says Naresh Fernandes, author of "City Adrift: A Short Biography of Bombay".

Students gather under the porch at the Kipling Bunglow -- the birthplace of author 

Rudyard Kipling -- at the J.J. School of Art in Mumbai (AFP Photo/Indranil Mukherjee)

AFP contacted a number of officials at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, regarding the Watson's Hotel and the Harris building, but none were available for comment.

Jinnah's house has been embroiled in a long-running legal dispute over ownership between his daughter, India and Pakistan. It lies empty in thick forest behind a padlocked gate.

Lambah doesn't believe the buildings owe their dilapidation to any sort of colonial antipathy, citing well-maintained British-era relics like the Bombay High Court and the former Victoria Terminus train station.

"It's just sheer neglect and bureaucracy," she says.

North and South Korea collaborate in excavating ancient palace

Team of archaeologists will research ancient Koryo dynasty capital in Kaesong in unprecedented collaboration between rival Koreas. NK News reports

The Guardian, Ha-young Choi for NK News, part of the North Korea network, 3 June 2015

The ceremonial Royal Guard Gyeongbokgung palace in Seoul. Approximately
 80 South Koreans will work in the North Korean city of Kaesong over the next six
months Photograph: Alamy

North and South Korean researchers are collaborating on the excavation of an ancient historical site at Manwoldae, home to the Koryo dynasty’s royal palace, in an unprecedented joint project between the two countries who have technically been at war since the 1950-53 Korean conflict.

Historians and archaeologists from the South crossed the border to the North Korean city of Kaesong yesterday to begin the work, hoping that the project will build awareness of the common history between the Koreas.

“It is the first time since the division [in 1945] that Southern and Northern members have worked at the same place for 40 to 60 days per year. There were wars of nerves between South and North scholars due to differences in methodologies, but we were in a same boat on the achievement of this excavation,” a project statement reads.

Approximately 80 South Koreans historians and archaeologists will work from Kaesong over the next six months. Although the project began in 2007, it has had a fitful few years due to fluctuations in inter-Korean relations.

Last month, the South Korean Ministry of Unification highlighted the importance of finding common ground between the countries through sports, co-excavation on historical sites and cultural communication, and confirmed that this project is a partial fulfilment of its May statement.

“North Korea has already recognised the necessity for long-term excavations, but it was hard to get permission from the South Korean government. The budget for this project decreased after the change of administrations to former president Lee Myung-bak (in 2008),” said Shin Joon-young, secretary general at the Council of South and North Korean Historians.

Writing in the magazine Archeology, Kim Hyung-eun says that both country’s see the collaboration as a way of preserving their shared history: “Manwoldae is equally important to both nations as evidence of their past.”

Kim writes that the project also offers the North the chance to share in new archeological technologies previously unavailable due to the country’s economic difficulties.

World heritage site

During this current phase of excavation the team will focus on Manryeong-jeon, the king’s bedroom. About 15 members of the team will commute between the site and the Kaesong Industrial complex.

Kaesong was the capital of Korea during the Koryo dynasty between 935–1392. Manwoldae is 10 minutes by car from the centre of Kaesong, now an industry centre in the North.

The ancient palace utilises the slanted shape of its home at the foot of Mount Songak, without damaging the original environment. Manwol means “full moon”, a name chosen due to the palace’s shape.

The site was designated as a Unesco World Heritage site in 2013. The organisation describes the ancient city as containing: “palaces, institutions and tomb complexes, and defensive walls and gates”, that embody the political, cultural, philosophical and spiritual values of the region’s history.

Dutch king reacts to ‘f*** the king’ row

DutchNews.nl, May 22, 2015

Dutch king Willem-Alexander has reacted for the first time to the ‘fuck de koning’ row which took place earlier this month, broadcaster Nos says on Friday. 

The king was speaking to a group of seven American journalists ahead of his pending visit to the US, when he was asked about the issue, Nos says, without naming its sources. 

The king told the reporters he believes the lese majesty law, which makes it a crime to insult the monarch, should be debated. He said he is following that debate and will accept whatever the outcome is, Nos reports. 

Asked if he lies awake at night, the king said he is concerned to find the right balance between his obligations and the limits to his role as king. Journalists meeting the king were not allowed to quote him directly, but had to paraphrase his statements, the Holland Sentinel, which did not refer to the fuck the king row, said. 

Activist Abulkasim al-Jaberi was arrested at a demonstration against Zwarte Piet last November for shouting ‘fuck the king, fuck the queen and fuck the monarchy’. 

The public prosecution department said earlier this month it is taking him to court because he has refused to pay a fine of €500 for the offence. 

The decision to prosecute him caused a storm of protest and raised questions about the right to free speech and the department said the court case will be delayed pending further research.

King Willem-Alexander speaks of importance of Dutch heritage in Michigan prior #NLroyalvisit: https://t.co/mXApcSlQxl pic.twitter.com/VNXnV3ToB6

— Netherlands Embassy (@NLintheUSA) 21 mei 2015

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Indian PM Tours Ancient Japanese City

Jakarta Globe – AFP, Aug 31, 2014

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, front left, and his Japanese counterpart
 Shinzo Abe smile with Buddhist monks in the background, during their visit to
Toji Buddhist temple, a Unesco World Heritage site, in Kyoto, western Japan, in
this photo released by Kyodo on Aug. 31, 2014. (Reuters Photo/Kyodo)

Kyoto. India’s new Prime Minister Narendra Modi toured the ancient Japanese city of Kyoto on Sunday, the second day of a visit intended to strengthen security and economic relations and counter a increasingly assertive China.

Modi was accompanied by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on his visit to a historic temple a day after he had a private dinner with Abe.

It is unusual for a Japanese prime minister to greet a foreign guest outside Tokyo.

The two leaders visited the 1,200-year-old Buddhist temple of Toji, a World Heritage site, and offered prayers in front of ancient statues early Sunday.

They also took a short walk near a five-story pagoda in the company of a priest. Buddhism, born in the Indian subcontinent, was brought to Japan through China and Korea in the sixth century.

Later in the day Modi met Nobel Prize-winning stem cell researcher Shinya Yamanaka, who heads the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application at Kyoto University and briefed the Indian leader about cutting-edge research.

Modi arrived Saturday at Kansai International Airport near the western city of Osaka by special plane for a night in nearby Kyoto.

He will hold an official summit with Abe in Tokyo on Monday as well as meetings with business leaders.

Both nations hope to curb Beijing’s rising activity in the East and South China Seas and the Indian Ocean.

In New Delhi, the Indian premier told Japanese media in an interview last week that the two nations could “upgrade” their relations in the fields of defense and security.

“I see in the recent changes in Japan’s defense export policies and regulations a possibility to engage in a new era of cooperation in high-end defense technology and equipment,” he said.

At the summit the two premiers are likely to agree on launching a “two-plus-two” security consultative framework involving their foreign and defense ministers, according to Japanese media.

Japan already has such arrangements with the United States, Australia, Russia and France.

India and Japan will also try to conclude talks on a civilian nuclear agreement that would allow Tokyo to export nuclear-related technology to New Delhi, reports said.

They are also expected to agree jointly to produce rare earths that could be exported to Japan, a move that would further reduce Japan’s reliance on China for the supply of such minerals, Kyodo News and other media said.

Rare earths are vital for the manufacture of high-tech products such as hybrid cars and mobile phones.

Agence France-Presse

Silk Road, China's Grand Canal listed as World Heritage sites

Want China Times, Xinhua 2014-06-24

A view of Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province and starting point of the
Silk Road. (Photo/Xinhua)

The famous ancient Silk Road and China's Grand Canal, the world's longest artificial waterway, were inscribed on the list of World Heritage sites in Doha on Sunday.

Jointly submitted by China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, the application for adding part of the Silk Road, which served as a corridor for trade and cultural exchanges between Asia and Europe dating back to 2,000 years ago, to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) list was approved by the World Heritage Committee at a session in the Qatari capital.

The application consists of 33 historical sites along the millennium-old trade route, including 22 in China, eight in Kazakhstan and three in Kyrgyzstan. They range from palaces and pagoda sites in cities to ruins in remote, inaccessible deserts.

It is the first time China has cooperated with foreign countries for a World Heritage nomination.

Du Yue, secretary general of the Chinese delegation at the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee, said the approval of the application would strengthen cultural exchanges between China and the two Central Asian nations.

He called for the three countries' close coordination to jointly protect and pass on the Silk Road heritage from generation to generation.

At Sunday's session, UNESCO also included the Grand Canal, with a history of more than 2,400 years, in the World Heritage list.

Participants at the meeting said the 1,794-km canal, which runs from Beijing to Hangzhou in eastern China's Zhejiang province, is a valuable fruit of the Chinese people's diligence and wisdom, adding that its inclusion has enriched the content of the World Heritage.

The Paris-based UNESCO oversees the system of granting World Heritage status to important cultural and natural sites around the globe.

The 38th session of the World Heritage Committee opened on June 15 and will continue through Wednesday.

A boat sails on the Wuxi section of China's Grand Canal, in Wuxi, east
 China's Jiangsu province, June 22, 2014. China's Grand Canal, the longest
 artificial waterway in the world, was inscribed on the World Heritage
list on June 22, 2014. (Xinhua/Huan Yueliang)

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Top UN court awards temple area to Cambodia

Google – AFP, 11 November 2013

Cambodian Buddhist monks walk at Preah Vihear temple near the Cambodia-Thailand

 border in Preah Vihear province, some 400 kilometers north of Phnom Penh, on

November 10, 2013 (AFP, Tang Chhin Sothy)

The Hague — The UN's top court ruled Monday that the area around a flashpoint ancient temple on the Thai border belongs to Cambodia and that any Thai security forces there should leave.

The International Court of Justice interpreted a 1962 ruling saying that "Cambodia had sovereignty over the whole territory of the promontory of Preah Vihear," Judge Peter Tomka said.

"In consequence Thailand was under an obligation to withdraw from that territory thai military or police forces or other guards or keepers who were station there," Tomka said.

A Cambodian villager walks out from a bunker

 he dug as a precaution in a village near the 

Cambodia-Thailand border in Preah Vihear 

province, some 400 kilometres north of Phnom

 Penh on November 11, 2013 (AFP, Tang Chhin

Sothy)

At least 28 people have been killed in outbreaks of violence since 2011 over the ownership of the patch of border land next to the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple.

"It's good enough," Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, who was at the hearing in The Hague, told reporters.

Last year the ICJ ruled that both countries should withdraw forces from around the ancient Khmer temple, which is perched on a clifftop in Cambodia but is more easily accessed from the Thai side.

Cambodia and Thailand finally pulled hundreds of soldiers from the disputed zone in July 2012, replacing them with police and security guards.

Ahead of the ruling by the Netherlands-based ICJ, there were fears that the decision would revive nationalist tensions and spark renewed clashes.

Tens of thousands of people were displaced in the 2011 fighting, leading Cambodia to ask the ICJ for an interpretation of an original 1962 ruling.

Thailand does not dispute Cambodia's ownership of the temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site, but both sides laid claim to an adjacent 4.6-square-kilometre (1.8-square-mile) piece of land.

Leaders of the two countries appealed for calm before the ruling by 17 international judges.

The court decision is binding and cannot be appealed.

The mood on both sides of the Preah Vihear temple was tense ahead of the verdict, with tourists still allowed to visit the ancient structure via Cambodian territory. But journalists were denied access.

The Cambodian army meanwhile denied local media reports that it had sent military reinforcements to the area.

Cambodian soldiers travel along a road

 about 20 kilometres from Preah Vihear

 temple on November 11, 2013 (AFP, Tang

Chhin Sothy)

On her Facebook page Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra vowed Sunday to "consult" with Cambodia after the decision to avoid any conflict, adding her government would make a statement following the verdict.

The ruling, which was broadcast live on Thai television, is fraught with danger for her government, which is already grappling with mass street demonstrations against a controversial political amnesty bill.

The country's opposition is now likely to direct public anger towards Yingluck, whose divisive brother Thaksin is close to Cambodia's strongman premier Hun Sen.

Cambodia has allowed Thaksin -- who lives in self-imposed exile to avoid a jail term for corruption -- to hold a number of rallies for his "Red Shirt" supporters on its soil.

There are fears a negative verdict for Thailand will increase anger among hardline nationalists.

In a television appeal last week Hun Sen urged his armed forces to "remain calm and show restraint", adding he had agreed with his Thai counterpart to abide by the ICJ's decision.

The roots of the dispute lie in maps drawn up in 1907 during French colonial rule.

Asean e-Culture Exchange workshop to guide youths, preserve heritage digitally

Borneo Bulletin, Brunei, P. Marilyn,

The guest of honour in a group picture with participants from Asean
countries in their respective traditional costumes. - PHOTOS: P MARILYN

The first Asean e-Culture Exchange workshop for youths officially began yesterday at the Seameo Voctech Regional Centre in Gadong, marking another significant milestone for the region in guiding youths as potential leaders of the future.

It also aims to provide youths with the necessary knowledge and skills to maintain their respective national heritage using advanced technologies.

Organised by the Authority for Info-Communications Technology Industry (AITI), the programme was officially launched by AITI's Chief Executive, Pg Hj Md Zain Pg Hj Abd Razak.

Its objective was partly to create awareness among Asean youths on e-Culture. To be held until March 27, the event sees the participation of some 30 Asean youths from local and foreign institutions.

In his speech, Pg Hj Md Zain highlighted the importance of preserving the Asean heritage digitally for youths, as they are the leaders of the future and hence it is crucial to provide them with the right opportunities, as well as to give them some guidance.

Heritage, he stated, is our national identity and preserving it is vital to allow future generations to learn and understand the extent of what we have become today.

By fully utilising the latest advancements of technology, we can make our life so much better and easier in many aspects every day, said Pg Hj Md Zain.

Her added that the workshop will not only attempt to produce a standard framework for digitising Asean cultural contents, but will also guide the participants to carry out preservations of culture and heritage in a professional and systematic way, thereby leading to a better conservation of the future.

"I hope that this programme will not only promote awareness and appreciation of ICT, but I also hope that it will create a ripple effect as the first major step in maintaining the Asean cultural contents," he told participants.

This, he said, is in line with the Asean charter - to promote Asean identity in fostering greater awareness on the region's diverse culture and heritage. Continuous commitment and support from all Asean member countries will ensure the success of meeting the event's main objectives.

"This workshop will remain as one of the significant platforms through which mutual respect, friendship, solidarity and the cohesive spirit among participating countries can be cultivated and further enhanced," he added.

Throughout the duration of the course, participants will be taught the basic skills and methods of capturing, recording, as well as storing several cultural activities and items, in a more professional and systematic way.

Topics to be covered during the three-day programme include an overview of e-Culture or e-Heritage, as well as the need for digitisation, archiving and sharing information through the enhancements of ICT.

The e-Culture initiatives and possibilities through ICT will also be focused on. This includes digitisation techniques, such as video archiving and the use of Web technology to map, store and edit its contents.

Visits to several Brunei museums are also among the event's agendas, to allow participants to practise a "hands-on" approach with their newly acquired skills and knowledge.

At the end of the programme, participants are also expected to develop a small cultural project that will be presented during the group presentations.

A roundtable discussion will also be held, led by the local project coordinator, expert facilitators and representatives from relevant agencies in Brunei to discuss the way forward for the sustainability of e-Culture and e-Heritage.

To maintain the momentum, a second workshop will also be tentatively held in a few months' time. The current event's participants will be asked to create their own small cultural projects from their respective home countries that will later be developed into e-Culture profiles.

The first workshop is funded partially by the Asean ICT Fund and facilitated by a local project consultant as well as its expert facilitators.

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Workshop for Asean youths closes with certificate presentation ceremony

Cambodia: Thai troops crossed border; Thais deny

The Jakarta Post, The Associated Press, Phnom Penh | Wed, 03/25/2009 5:40 PM

Cambodia accused Thai troops of crossing into its territory on Wednesday and said the two sides were "getting ready to fight," even as a Thai commander insisted all was calm and the border had not been breached.

According to Cambodian officials, more than 100 armed Thai soldiers entered Cambodia in the afternoon about a half-mile (one kilometer) west of the 11th century Preah Vihear temple - long a site of flare-ups over the countries' ill-defined border.

The temple was the site of two clashes last year that sparked brief concerns of war.

"The situation is very tense, and both sides are getting ready to fight," Cambodian army Capt. Theam Thy, who is stationed at the border, told The Associated Press.

Phay Siphan, a spokesman for Cambodia's Council of Ministers, said that the Thai soldiers were armed and had crossed into an area known as Eagle Field, where a confrontation occurred in October.

"We are negotiating with their commanders to ask them to leave the area now because it is Cambodian territory," he said, adding that the Thai soldiers were trying to set up camp there.

But Thai army Col. Pichit Nakarun, the commander at the border, denied the accusation.

"There has been no troop movement that encroaches on the Cambodian border," he told the AP. "The situation is not more tense than usual."

Soldiers from both countries have been stationed at the border since July 2008, when long-standing tensions flared after UNESCO, the U.N. cultural agency, approved Cambodia's bid to have the Preah Vihear temple named a World Heritage Site.

More clashes erupted in October when two Thai soldiers lost legs after stepping on land mines. The incident came just days after a brief gunfight broke out between soldiers from the two sides. One Cambodian and two Thai soldiers were wounded. Both sides claimed the other fired first and blamed each other for being on the wrong side of the border.

In 1962, the World Court awarded the temple to Cambodia, but sovereignty over the surrounding land has never been clearly resolved.

The two countries share a 500-mile (800-kilometer) land border, much of which has never been clearly demarcated bcause the countries refer to different maps.

Hip-hop group N.E.R.D. a no-show in Indonesia

The Jakarta Post, The Associated Press, Jakarta | Mon, 03/23/2009 1:44 PM

The American hip-hop group N.E.R.D. decided to cancel its weekend show in Indonesia after authorities in neighboring Malaysia briefly detained members of the band, the event's organizer said Monday.

The trio had been scheduled to perform Sunday in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation.

Nirmala, a spokeswoman for the Jakarta event, said they decided to go straight home after experiencing problems following the Sunburst KL International Music Festival in Malaysia, hours earlier.

They were briefly detained for failing to get a permit from the Arts, Culture and Heritage Ministry - which has strict requirements about clothing and behavior on stage - something that turned out to be the promoter's fault.

Nirmala, who like many Indonesians uses only one name, said the incident made the artists nervous about continuing their tour.

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